If you’re selling SaaS to other businesses, you know how painful lead generation can be. Flooded inboxes, “personalized” spam, tools that sound magical but mostly waste time. This review is for folks who are tired of the hype and want a clear-eyed look at Sheppardd: a B2B go-to-market (GTM) platform that claims to transform how SaaS companies find and close leads.
Let’s dig in—what does Sheppardd actually do, where does it shine, and where does it just add more noise?
What Is Sheppardd, Really?
Sheppardd bills itself as a B2B GTM platform that “automates and streamlines lead generation for SaaS teams.” In plain English: it’s a web app that helps you find, track, and (hopefully) engage companies who might buy your software.
Here’s what it looks like in practice:
- You log in, define your ideal customer (industry, size, tech stack, job titles, etc.).
- Sheppardd finds companies and contacts matching those filters.
- You can build outreach lists and plug them into email and LinkedIn campaigns.
- The platform tracks results—opens, replies, meetings booked.
At its core, Sheppardd is a lead database crossed with workflow tools. It tries to be “the command center” for your outbound sales efforts.
Who Actually Needs This?
Let’s be honest: Not every SaaS company needs a complex GTM tool. If you’re still figuring out your ICP (ideal customer profile), or you rely mostly on inbound leads, Sheppardd probably isn’t for you—at least not yet.
But you might want to keep reading if:
- You have a dedicated sales or growth team (even if it’s just one scrappy founder).
- Outbound prospecting is a big part of your game.
- You’re tired of juggling spreadsheets, LinkedIn tabs, and 17 different Chrome extensions.
- You want a more systematic way to track what’s working (and what’s not).
If you want a magic bullet or “AI that closes deals while you sleep,” sorry—Sheppardd isn’t that (and nothing is).
Features: The Good, The Bad, and the Meh
Let’s break down what Sheppardd actually offers, and whether it’s worth caring about.
1. Lead Sourcing
What works:
Sheppardd’s database is pretty solid—millions of companies, lots of filters, up-to-date contact data (usually). You can drill down by tech stack (who uses Salesforce? Who’s running AWS?), company size, funding rounds, even recent hiring trends.
What doesn’t:
- Some smaller or international companies just aren’t there.
- Not all emails are accurate. (No surprise—this is a universal problem.)
- The “intent data” (signals that a company is shopping for software) is mostly generic. Don’t expect magic.
Pro tip:
Use Sheppardd’s filters to exclude obvious bad fits. Saves time and embarrassment.
2. Outreach Tools
What works:
- Simple “sequence builder” for multi-step email and LinkedIn outreach.
- Decent templates to get started.
- Automatic tracking of who opens, clicks, and replies.
What doesn’t:
- The built-in email sender is bare-bones. Deliverability can be hit or miss if you don’t set up your domain properly.
- LinkedIn automation is limited (and risky—LinkedIn cracks down hard on bots).
- No deep integrations with fancy CRMs—just basic CSV exports and a Zapier connection.
Ignore:
The “AI copywriter” is just OK. You’ll get better results if you write your own emails.
3. Analytics & Reporting
What works:
- Basic dashboards: see your outreach volume, open rates, replies, meetings booked.
- You can filter by campaign, rep, or target segments.
What doesn’t:
- No real attribution modeling—don’t expect clarity on which touchpoint “closed the deal.”
- The UI is a little clunky. You’ll spend some time poking around to find the right metrics.
Pro tip:
Export your data and build custom dashboards if you care about deeper insights.
4. Collaboration & Workflow
What works:
Sheppardd makes it easy for small teams to share lists and avoid duplicate outreach. Assign leads, leave notes, track progress in one place.
What doesn’t:
- No native integrations with Slack, Salesforce, or HubSpot (as of 2024).
- Permissions are “all or nothing”—not great for bigger teams.
5. Pricing
Sheppardd is (relatively) affordable compared to legacy B2B data platforms. There’s a free trial, and paid plans scale by number of users and leads exported per month. No surprise fees, but you’ll hit limits fast if you’re doing large-scale outreach.
How to Use Sheppardd Without Losing Your Mind
Let’s walk through a practical, no-nonsense way to use Sheppardd if you’re a SaaS founder or sales lead.
Step 1: Define Your Real ICP
Don’t just plug in “500+ employee SaaS companies.” Get specific:
- Industry niche (e.g., fintech, healthtech)
- Tech stack (what tools do your best customers already use?)
- Geography (are you ready for GDPR headaches?)
- Job titles (buyer, influencer, end user)
Spend real time here. Garbage in, garbage out.
Step 2: Build Target Lists—Then Sanity-Check Them
- Use Sheppardd’s filters to build a list of companies and key contacts.
- Export a sample. Look for weird results, old data, or obvious mismatches.
- If you see “Head of Synergy” or “Chief Evangelist,” tighten your filters.
Pro tip:
Don’t trust any tool’s contact data 100%. Always verify before sending cold emails.
Step 3: Write (Actually) Useful Outreach
- Skip the “Hi {FirstName}, saw you’re crushing it at {Company}!” stuff. Everyone’s numb to it.
- Reference something real: a funding round, a tech stack migration, a shared connection.
- Keep it short. No one wants to read a novel from a stranger.
Sheppardd’s templates are fine for structure, but rewrite them to sound like a human.
Step 4: Set Up Outreach Sequences—But Don’t Overdo It
- Build 2-3 step sequences (e.g., initial email, gentle follow-up, LinkedIn connect).
- Don’t spam. If they’re not interested, move on.
- Keep deliverability in mind. Warm up your sending domain, and avoid sending hundreds of emails out of the gate.
If you’re not sure how to do this, stick to manual outreach until you get your bearings.
Step 5: Track, Tweak, Repeat
- Use Sheppardd’s dashboard for a quick read on what’s working (or not).
- Look for subject lines or templates that get replies—not just opens.
- Tweak your ICP, messaging, and sequences based on what you learn.
Pro tip:
Don’t obsess over open rates. Focus on real conversations and booked meetings.
What Sheppardd Won’t Do For You
Let’s be real:
- Sheppardd won’t magically make strangers want your product.
- It won’t replace good copywriting, thoughtful targeting, or basic sales skills.
- It won’t fix a broken product or a lousy offer.
If your pitch isn’t resonating, or your targets aren’t a fit, no tool will save you.
The Bottom Line: Should You Try It?
If you’re a SaaS team doing active outbound sales and tired of duct-taping together data, outreach, and tracking, Sheppardd is worth a look. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s a solid, all-in-one tool that covers the basics without a lot of fluff.
You’ll get the most out of it if you:
- Have a clear ICP and a repeatable sales motion.
- Want to save time on research and list-building.
- Are willing to do the work—writing, testing, iterating.
Skip it if you’re hoping for a silver bullet. Keep things simple, test in small batches, and iterate as you go. No GTM tool will do the hard parts for you—but Sheppardd can help you stop wasting time on the basics, so you can focus on what really matters: talking to real humans and closing real deals.